A New Life
by The 1000th Kiss
Summary: After returning safely to New York, Collins, Susie, and Angel start a new and happy life together...but will the happiness last with Alexander still on the loose? Sequel to Stutter Bird.
1. Attacked

**Another sequel to another story. OH YEAH! I'M EXCITED! This first chapter has like the saddest ending ever. Just thought I should warn you.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Daddy?" Susie said in a voice that automatically told Collins she was going to ask for something. She'd been with Angel and Collins for quite sometime now so they were somewhat immune her 'can I' voice.

"Is this about the puppy again?" Collins asked as Susie crawled into his lap.

"Maybe."

"Forget it."

"But, Daddy-"

"No 'buts,'" Collins interrupted. "We've had this conversation before. We can't afford to buy a puppy right now. Mommy wants to save up for Christmas."

"What if I rescued one?"

"Tell you what," Collins sat Susie next to him, "if you rescue a puppy and promise to take care of it, then you can keep it." Susie smiled as Angel came out of the kitchen and gave Collins a kiss.

"I have to run to the store really fast," she said. "There's two things I need for dinner."

"I can go for you," Collins offered.

"Honey . . . um . . . how do I put this?"

"Just say what's on your mind, Ang."

"I don't feel comfortable sending you to the store. I mean, the last time I did that you and Susie-"

"Angel, we already talked about this," Collins interrupted. "It just happened." Angel opened her mouth to argue, but shut it again.

"Can I come to the store with you, Mommy?" Susie asked.

"Sweetie, why don't you keep Daddy company?" Angel suggested.

"Can I get him the paper?"

"Sure." Susie ran to the door, opened it, and picked up the folded newspaper that always seemed to be right outside the door. She made a mental note to find out where it came from.

"Here you go, Daddy," Susie said, giving Collins the paper.

"Thank you, baby girl," Collins replied, unfolding the paper. As his eyes read the bold headline on the front page his heart felt like it had sunk into his stomach. He then scanned the article.

**ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM MYSTERIOUSLY ESCAPES FROM PRISON**

_After being tried and convicted of four counts of robbery, eight counts of murder, and two counts of kidnapping, Alexander Cunningham was sentenced to life in prison. He surprisingly took his sentencing very well, leaving the courtroom with a smile on his face. His smile did not fade even as he was assigned to a cell with a cell mate that could kill you with a single punch. _

_"He [Cunningham] was a very cooperative prisoner," says the chief of police. "That's not very common when you've been convicted on the charges he has. Usually those types are mad at the world and ready to stab the very first person who talks to them."_

_Cunningham had asked to be left in his cell all day on Tuesday. The chief of police admits that it is strange behavior for an inmate to ask permission to stay in their cell, but he felt that Cunningham was a strange person so he allowed it._

_Yesterday morning Cunningham was not found in his cell. The small blanket he had been given was folded neatly on his bunk with a small note on top of it that read 'Three weeks. Not bad.' Police believe the note is a taunt pertaining the statement "We'll see how long you keep me there" made by Cunningham during his arrest. "Everybody should steer clear of going outside after dark," the chief of police advises. _

_"Now that he's [Cunningham] out of prison, he'll want revenge. I can only imagine what he'll do."_

Collins read the last line a total of three times, his eyes widened with horror.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Susie asked, trying to peek at the paper. Collins quickly refolded it.

"Baby girl, why don't you go play?" he said. "Mommy and I need to talk about something." Not wanting to start an argument, Susie skipped out of the room. "Angel, look at this." Collins gave Angel the paper and her eyes widened.

"Oh my God," she said. "He's . . . _out _of prison?" Collins nodded. "How the hell did he get out? Oh God. None of us are safe anymore!"

"Angel, we'll be fine. I promise. There's just one thing."

"What?"

"Let me go to the store for you."

"Collins-"

"Ang, I don't want you to have to face Alexander," Collins interrupted. "I've dealt with him before. I know how to handle myself."

"Promise me you'll be careful." Collins gave her an assuring kiss.

"I will." Angel told him what she needed, gave him the money, and he left the apartment.

About five minutes later there was a knock on the door. Angel opened it and saw her neighbor, Tara, standing in the doorway.

"Hi Angel," Tara said, smiling.

"Hey," Angel replied. "You need something?"

"Yes actually. I'm trying to follow that recipe you gave me and I need to know if I did it right. Could you come taste it for me?"

"Uh . . . sure. Hang on." Angel went to Susie's bedroom and poked her head. Susie was playing with her dolls and winding up the music box Angel gave to her so she could make the dolls dance to it. "Sweetie, I'm gonna be gone for two minutes. You think you can stay here by yourself or do you wanna come with me?"

"I'll be okay," Susie replied, still making her dolls dance.

"Alright. Two minutes, I promise." Angel then left the apartment as Susie's music box stopped. She picked it up and wound it again. As she made her dolls dance again, she hummed along with the tune coming from her music box. A loud crash was heard just as the music stopped again. Susie stood up and quietly walked to the livingroom area. A rock with a note taped to it that said 'YOU'RE DEAD' had been thrown into the window.

The door was then forced open and Susie screamed as a man wearing a ski mask came toward her.

"**MOMMY!" **she cried. The man grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head against a wall until her forehead was bleeding. He tried to stop her from screaming by clamping his hand over her mouth, but she bit him as hard as she could. He pulled his hand away as Susie ran out of the apartment. **"MOMMY!" **

The man caught her right outside the apartment and dragged her by her hair toward the steps. He yanked her head back and she screamed again before she was thrown down the stairs, hitting her head off of every step and then the lift at the bottom of them. Her head was bleeding even more now and she couldn't move her legs to get up and run. Just before the loss of blood took its toll on her, she noticed her dress that Angel had recently made for her was torn at the bottom.

_I hope Mommy doesn't get too mad at me for ripping my dress_, she thought as she drifted into unconsciousness.

**Told you it had a sad ending. (shakes head) It's only the first chapter and things are already gettin' bad. But they'll get better. I swear!**

**Review please.**


	2. Strike One

**This is the next chapter. Read it. That is all.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

Collins burst through the doors of the hospital waiting room and his eyes immediately landed on Angel, who was sitting in a chair, unmoving, with her head in her hands. He walked over to her and sat next to her before pulling her into a hug. She sobbed as he rubbed her back gently.

About an hour later, a doctor came to talk to them.

"How is she?" Collins asked before the doctor could say anything.

"Her head wounds are severe and she lost a lot of blood," the doctor answered. "We've given her a blood transfusion so she's still alive and well."

"See baby? She's still alive."

"What else is wrong with her?" Angel asked, ignoring Collins' comment.

"She's got a broken arm," the doctor said.

"What else?"

"Angel, why do you just assume there's somethin' else wrong?" Collins asked, turning Angel's head toward him.

"I _know _there's something wrong, Collins. I can't explain it, I just know." She turned to the doctor. "Tell me . . . exactly what's wrong." The doctor sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Your daughter is . . . paralyzed . . . from the waist down," he said. He watched as Angel's tears came flooding back as Collins held her, trying to be strong enough for the both of them. "I'm . . . so sorry."

"I . . . shouldn't have . . . left," Angel sobbed into Collins' shoulder.

"No, it's not your fault," Collins whispered. He looked to the doctor and spoke louder. "Can we . . . can we see her?" Before the doctor could respond a nurse walked over to him and whispered something in his ear.

"It seems _she _wants to see _you_," he said. The nurse led Angel and Collins to Susie's room, 525. Inside the room, they saw Susie lying in the bed. There was an IV in her right arm, her left arm was in a cast as well as a sling, her head was wrapped in a bandage, and her little blue dress, which was folded and sitting on the chair next to the bed, had been replaced by a hospital gown.

Collins held Angel's hand as they approached their daughter. Angel then knelt down beside the bed and kissed Susie's forehead gently.

"Hi sweetie," she whispered, fighting back tears. Susie looked at her ruined dress and then at Angel.

"Mommy, I'm sorry I ripped my dress," she said, hoping she didn't get in trouble **(A/N1: Look below)**. Angel smiled slightly.

"That's okay honey. I can fix it."

"But you worked so hard on it."

"It's alright, Susie. I'll fix it. As a matter of fact, I'll make you a new one." Susie smiled and look to Collins, who's facial expression was a mix between sadness and anger.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" she asked. As soon as he looked at his daughter, Collins' expression softened.

"Nothin', baby girl," he said. "How ya feelin'?"

"A little better, but I can't move my legs for some reason." Angel and Collins froze. "What's the matter?"

"Well-" Collins began.

"I'm looking for a Tom Collins," a man in a suit interrupted, walking into the room carrying a clipboard.

_Try the bar down the street_, Angel thought. She smiled at the little joke she made in her head as Collins spoke.

"I'm Tom Collins," he said. "Who are you?"

"Charles Duncan," the man replied. "I'm with child services."

"And you're looking for him, why?" Angel asked, getting worried.

"I'd like to speak with him if you don't mind."

"Well, I _do _mind." Angel put her hands on her hips. Collins put a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed.

"It's okay," he told her. He then turned to Charles. "Can we talk outside?"

"Fine by me," Charles replied. He and Collins started to leave the room.

"Daddy, where are you going?" Susie asked.

"Daddy's gonna be right back, honey," Angel assured her as Collins and Charles left the room. They went back to the waiting room and sat down.

"Are you aware of what's happened to your daughter?" Charles asked.

"Yes, but I find that question to be really stupid," Collins replied.

"Not as stupid as the answer." Collins glared at Charles. "Can we move on now?"

"Well, if you'd ask a question that you didn't already know the answer to, maybe we'd get somewhere."

"Okay, let me rephrase the question then. Were you aware of what was happening to your daughter while it was happening?"

"No. I was at the store."

"I see." Charles wrote something on his clipboard. "And your lover was . . .?"

"She had to help a neighbor with somethin'."

"Leaving the child alone?"

"The neighbor she was helping only lives down the hall. She wasn't gonna be gone long."

"It seems your lover was gone just long enough though."

"You're not blamin' Angel for what happened."

"How did the intruder get into the apartment? Was the door left unlocked?"

"No, it wasn't."

"Then how was he able to get inside?"

"He undoubtedly broke in. If you have enough strength, you can knock the door off its hinges."

"Are _you _able to knock the door off its hinges?"

"I didn't attack my own daughter."

"I wasn't suggesting you had. I was simply asking a question."

"Well, then the answer is yes. I can knock the door off its hinges. I can also snap you in half like a fucking twig if I felt like it."

"Oh my." Charles scribbled on his clipboard again. "That's no way to speak around your daughter." Collins gritted his teeth.

"Do you see my daughter anywhere around?" he asked, keeping as calm as possible.

"Let me explain something to you, Mr. Collins," Charles said, ignoring Collins' question. "My job is to keep children safe in their home environment. Meaning, if I don't feel that they're safe or that their parents are unfit for them, I have the power to take them away and place them with a new family."

"Like hell you do!"

"I'm just saying that-" Charles stared.

"You're not fucking taking my daughter from me because of an accident!" Collins interrupted, fuming.

"I don't plan to," Charles said. "See, I like to think of my job as baseball. In this case, you and your lover are the infield team, I am the outfield team, and your daughter would be the ball. I'm sure you know what happens when you get three strikes."

"What happened to Susie was an accident." Collins was glaring at Charles again.

"Yes, I'm sure she was _accidently_ paralyzed."

"If you say even one more syllable, I'm gonna _accidently_ paralyze _you _and see how well you do your job then!"

"I'm counting this so-called accident as a strike, Mr. Collins. You'd better be careful." Charles stood up and walked to an information desk. Collins remained seated, Charles' words still fresh in his mind.

_I'm sure you know what happens when you get three strikes._

**

* * *

**

"Angel, why don't you get some sleep?" Collins asked, sitting in a chair that had been brought into the room next to Angel. Susie had fallen asleep and Angel looked tired as well.

"No, honey," Angel replied, stifling a yawn. "I'm not that tired."

"Sure you're not."

"So, what'd that Charles guy want?"

"He wanted to piss me off."

"Care to explain?"

"He said we're unfit parents."

"What!?"

"Yeah, then he compared our family to baseball. He said we've got one strike against us and if we get three strikes . . . we lose Susie."

"He can't do that! Can he?"

"It's apparently his job so . . . I guess he can." Collins sighed. "He doesn't think this was an accident."

"But it was an accident. I know it was my fault and everything, but-"

"I told you not to blame yourself for this, Angel," Collins interrupted.

"Collins, when you were talking with that guy, Susie told me what happened," Angel said. "How . . . that man came into the apartment and practically tried to . . . kill her." Angel took a deep breath. "She said, 'I ran out in the hall to find you, Mommy, but I didn't know where you were. So I screamed your name as loud as I could . . ." Tears were forming in Angel's eyes "'and you never came.' Honey, she was screaming, I heard her, but I didn't get to her in time."

"That doesn't mean you have to blame yourself."

"If I hadn't left . . . or if I'd taken her with me . . ." Angel broke off. Collins wrapped his arm around Angel. "Honey, what're we gonna do? We can't lose our little girl."

"I'll think of somethin'. I promise. Now get some sleep." Angel closed her eyes and was soon asleep, but Collins, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't get Charles' voice out of his head.

_I'm counting this so-called accident as a strike, Mr. Collins. You'd better be careful._

Strike One.

**A/N1: If you didn't think that little piece was adorable **_**or **_**it didn't make you go "aww," THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU! **

**A/N2: Yeah . . . well that wasn't happy. Okay, the **_**next **_**chapter **_**will **_**be happier.**

**Review please.**


	3. Homecoming

**I promised that this chapter would be happier so it will. Be glad about it.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Daddy, when can I wheel myself around?" Susie asked as Collins pushed her wheelchair toward their apartment. It had been one week after the attack and Susie was finally allowed to go home.

"When your arm is healed," Collins replied.

"When will that be?"

"I don't know, baby girl."

"But I thought you knew everything." They had arrived at their apartment building. Collins carefully picked Susie up and Angel carried her wheelchair.

"Honey, believe it or not, he doesn't know _everything_," Angel told her daughter.

"Really?" Susie replied, looking up at Collins. "Is that why you read all the time? To find out the stuff you don't already know?"

"Sometimes, but most of the time I read for fun," Collins said. They were at their apartment now and Angel was putting the wheelchair on the floor. Collins then placed Susie back in the chair as Angel opened the door (which had been fixed). Inside, they noticed that the window had also been repaired.

"Who's in here?" Angel called, making sure she stayed close to Collins. Roger and Mimi then emerged from the kitchen.

"We are," Roger said. "Mark and I fixed up the door and the window."

"Where _is _Mark?" Collins asked.

"He took off to do some filming." Collins nodded as Mimi made her way over to Susie and kneeled in front of her.

"Hey, mini chica," she said. "How's my favorite niece?"

"I'm your _only _niece," Susie pointed out, giggling.

"All the more reason for you to be my favorite." Mimi glanced at Collins and noticed he looked a bit tired. "You okay, Collins?"

"Yeah," Collins replied. "I'm fine. Just had a long week."

"Are you trying not to sleep again?" Angel asked quietly.

"No, of course not." Collins yawned. "Okay, maybe just a little."

"Are the nightmares back?" Angel's voice was a whisper. Collins was silent. "Honey? You gonna answer me?" Collins remained silent and walked to his and Angel's room. He sat on the bed for a moment before deciding to change his shirt. Angel had been sobbing into it for practically the entire week they'd spent at the hospital. As he pulled off his shirt and went over to the dresser to find a clean one, Mimi appeared in the doorway.

"Do they still hurt?" she asked, staring at the many scars on his back. She winced as she thought of how much pain he must've been in. Collins turned around slowly.

"Only when I think about 'em," he replied, touching one of his scars that was more on his shoulder than his back. He put on a clean shirt as Mimi came toward him.

"What'd Angel mean about nightmares?"

"She didn't say anything about nightmares."

"I was right next to her. I heard what she said."

"Let me explain something to you, okay? I am not nor have I ever been having nightmares about anything. You got that?" Collins was lying through his teeth and he knew it. He just didn't want anyone's pity.

"I don't believe you."

"Can I ask why?"

"Angel called me a few weeks ago and said you woke up in the middle of the night screaming." Collins' eyes shifted to the floor.

"She did?" he asked.

"Yeah, she did," Mimi replied. "She also said she tried to talk to you about it, but you pushed her away and left the room."

"Is it a crime that I don't wanna talk about it?"

"So you admit having nightmares?" Collins was about to say something, but he couldn't think of anything. "I'm taking that as a 'yes.'"

"You . . . you tricked me," Collins said.

"That's sort of what you gotta do when you're dealing with someone as stubborn as you," Mimi replied.

"I can't believe _you _tricked me."

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Well, I always thought I'd be outsmarted by someone who's-"

"Thomas Collins, are you trying to say I'm stupid?" Mimi interrupted, putting her hands on her hips.

"I didn't say that," Collins said quickly. "I'm just sayin' that . . . well . . . you shouldn't be able to _completely_ outsmart me. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand. You're saying I'm _extremely _stupid."

"I'm not calling you stupid, Mimi!"

"And now you're yelling at me? What is wrong with you today?"

"I . . . I . . . I GIVE UP!" Collins sighed dramatically and flopped down onto the bed. Mimi poked him in the stomach. "What do you want?"

"I want you to talk to Angel," Mimi said.

"And if I don't?" Mimi scowled at Collins and then sat on him. "Any particular reason you're on me?" Mimi said nothing and started tickling Collins, causing him to laugh. "Cut it out!"

"Are you gonna talk to Angel?"

"I don't have to if I don't want to! Now . . . stop it!"

"I don't have to if I don't want to." Mimi smiled and continued her torture.

"Okay, okay!"

"You _promise _you'll talk to Angel?"

"I promise!" Mimi stopped tickling Collins, stood up, and held out her hand. Collins took it and Mimi led him back to the living room area, where the rest of the bohemians had arrived. They were giving Susie small get-well-soon cards as well as hugs and kisses.

"Daddy, can I get out of the chair now?" Susie asked as soon as she saw Collins come back into the room.

"Sure, baby girl," Collins replied. He picked her up slowly. "Where would you like to go?"

"Um . . . to the couch." As Collins walked over to the couch and gently sat Susie down, he noticed Angel had left the room.

"Where'd Angel go?" he asked.

"Kitchen," Roger replied. Collins nodded and went into the kitchen where Angel was cutting slices of a cake that had been in the refrigerator.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Angel replied, continuing to cut the cake without looking up at her lover.

"Um . . . whatcha' doin'?"

"Cutting cake. I feel like we should celebrate Susie's homecoming." Angel still hadn't looked up.

"I see." Collins watched Angel cut the cake and put each slice on a small saucer for a moment. "You wanna tell me why you're avoiding looking at me?"

"Nope."

"Are you mad at me?"

"Maybe."

"Can I have a definite answer?"

"Nope."

"You _are _mad at me, aren't you?" Angel said nothing and put the remainder of the cake back in the refrigerator. "Is this about me not answering your question about the nightmares?" Angel stayed silent as she picked up the knife she'd been using. "Mimi said you told her that I woke up screaming a few weeks ago." Angel dropped the knife on the floor and turned to Collins.

"She wasn't supposed to tell you that," she said quietly.

"Well, she did and my reaction was basically the same as yours just was."

"I told her _not _to tell you that."

"Why'd you call her?"

"I needed advice, Collins. I tried to ask you what was wrong and you wouldn't let me help you no matter what I did."

"As persuasive as _you _are, I find that a little hard to believe."

"Collins, you said, and I quote, 'Get the fuck away from me.'" Collins eyes widened.

"I said _that_ . . . to _you_?" he asked in shock. Angel nodded.

"That's why I asked you if the nightmares were back," she said. "I didn't want a repeat of that." They were both silent for a minute. "So . . . can we talk? I mean, you still haven't told me everything that happened while you and Susie were-"

"Not right now," Collins interrupted. "Later on tonight." Angel nodded again and began putting the eight saucers on a tray. Collins picked the knife up off the floor and put it in the sink. "Honey, could you grab some forks?" Collins nodded and took eight forks out of one of the kitchen drawers. He and Angel then joined everyone in the livingroom area. "Who wants cake?"

"I do!" both Susie and Maureen shouted. Angel giggled and passed out the cake as Collins did the same with the forks. As everyone ate their cake, Susie noticed that no matter who she looked at they seemed to be staring at her and fighting back tears.

"I have a question for everybody," she said.

"What is it, honey?" Angel replied.

"Why are you all staring at me?" No one answered her. "I'm serious. You guys are acting like I'm supposed to be dead or something."

"Baby girl, considering what happened to you and how violent it was, you actually . . . _should _be dead," Collins said.

"But I'm _not _dead, Daddy. I'm alive and I wanna be treated like it. Starting with learning how to walk again."

"Don't you wanna wait for that?" Mark asked. "I mean, you _just _got out of the hospital."

"He's right, baby," Maureen agreed. "You should wait."

"But I don't _wanna _wait," Susie said. "I wanna walk so Mommy and Daddy won't have to worry." Angel and Collins exchanged a look.

"Sweetie, we'll be fine," Angel told her daughter.

"Really?"

"Yes, baby girl," Collins said. "But we want you to wait a while before trying to walk again, okay?" Susie nodded and Collins gave her a kiss on the cheek.

**

* * *

**

"Mommy?" Susie said, as Angel helped her get her pajamas on.

"Yes, honey?" Angel replied.

"Can I sleep with you and Daddy? I'm scared to sleep by myself."

"Of course you can." Susie smiled as Collins came into the room with his hand over his eyes.

"Are the girls decent?" he asked jokingly. Susie and Angel laughed.

"Yes, honey," Angel said, giggling. Collins took his hand from away from his face. "Susie wants to sleep with us, dear."

"Oh does she?"

"Yes. That's okay, right?"

"Of course it is." Collins picked Susie up and carried her to his and Angel's bedroom while Angel carried Susie's bear. He put her on the bed and sat next to her. Angel gave her bear to her and sat down on the other side of her.

"Collins, can we talk now?"

"What do you wanna know?"

"Everything. From start to finish. I need to know exactly what happened." Collins took a deep breath and Susie grabbed his hand.

"Okay. Here's what happened . . ."

**Chapter three is complete. Be on the lookout for chapter four.**

**Review please.**


	4. Uh Oh

**OMG! I'M UPDATING! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! **

**Okay, before Collins tells Angel what you guys already know, I'm gonna take you to the place where one of the people you love to hate is. WELCOME TO THE HIDEOUT OF ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM!**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

"Ugh, this is the best place you could find, Gault?" Alexander asked his right-hand man, staring at a large house that wasn't so appealing from the outside.

"The inside is quite nice," Gault said, his accent slightly stronger than Alexander's. "I'm terribly sorry the outside displeases you, sir."

"It's alright, Gault. _Anything _is better than that dreadful prison cell."

"Now that you mention prison, your breakout has been headline news for the past week."

"It has?"

"Yes. According to the newspapers, most of the New York Police Department has been assigned to search other states."

"That's rich." Alexander chuckled.

"I agree, sir. Especially since, in reality, you're only a few blocks away from your enemies."

"Speaking of my enemies, have you been watching them like I asked you to?"

"Yes, sir. All three of them live together now."

"Really?"

"It turns out Mr. Collins and his lover have adopted the little girl."

"Well, isn't that lovely?"

"It would be if she hadn't been attacked."

"Attacked?"

"I'll give you further explanation once we're inside, sir." After Alexander let Gault lead him into the house, down a long hallway, and into the livingroom, his eyes landed on a woman that was sitting on a couch, sipping a glass of wine. He smiled as Gault took his coat and hung it up.

"Tessa," he said, walking toward the woman. She sat her glass on a coffee table, stood up, placed both of her hands in his, and watched as he kissed them.

"Alexander," she said, her accent nearly the same as Alexander's.

"My love, I've missed you."

"As I have you." Tessa stroked one of Alexander's hands with her thumb as Gault left the room and headed for the kitchen. "What happened to the promise you made?"

"Promise?"

"Yes, promise. The one where you turn your life around, forget all about crime, then we get married and have a child."

"Things . . . got a little complicated."

"Complicated or not, you told me you'd never break a promise to me. And what happens after that? You break one of the most important promises you've ever made." Tessa sat back on the couch and picked her glass up.

"Tessa, love, I'm sorry. Unbelievingly sorry." Tessa took a sip of her wine. "What if I promised you that I will make no more promises that I know I can't keep?"

"That sounds more like the Alexander I know." Alexander smiled and gave Tessa a small kiss.

"The chef has informed me that dinner will be finished shortly," Gault said, returning to the livingroom.

"Thank you, Gault," Tessa said as Alexander ran a hand through his golden brown hair.

"Damnation," he said. "I need a bath. Gault, draw me a bath, would you? And don't forget to tell me about young Susan's unfortunate accident. I want every last detail before I make my visit."

"Yes, sir." Gault disappeared again.

"Would you like some company in the bathroom, darling?" Tessa asked Alexander.

"Yes," he replied, smiling. "I would _love _some company."

**

* * *

**

"Why do we have to stay in this shithole while Alex stays in a mansion somewhere?" Matt complained, sitting on the couch in the apartment he now shared with Lisa, Jack, Nick, and Rob.

"It could be worse," Jack pointed out. "We could all be on our own and runnin' from the law."

"He's right, Matt," Lisa said. "Besides, Alex said this was temporary."

"So we're just supposed to sit here?" Matt asked angrily.

"You're lucky he even got you outta jail," Rob told him. "He doesn't even like you."

"Was I talkin' you, you damn ni-"

"If you want your tongue ripped out, go ahead and say it," Rob interrupted.

"You can't do anything to me."

"What makes you think that?"

"You don't have a gun."

"I don't need a gun to kill you. All I need is my bare hands. It'll make it more fun anyway."

"Matt, Rob, stop it," Lisa pleaded. "You guys have been at each other's throats ever since we got here."

"It's because he thinks he's so great when in reality he's only good for picking cotton," Matt said.

"And _he's _a racist bastard who's about to get an ass full of this cotton picker's foot if he even takes one more breath," Rob retorted.

"That's enough!" Lisa said. "Matt, come with me." Lisa pulled Matt out of the apartment, down four flights of stairs, outside, and into a nearby alley. "What the hell is your problem?"

"What do you mean by that?" Matt asked.

"Why do you treat people the way you do?"

"They deserve it."

"Why? Because they're not white supremacists?" Matt was silent for a moment. "Matt, can't you try to be nice to someone who's . . . different than you? Someone who's not the same race or religion?"

"No."

"Ugh! You piss me off so much! What started this racism shit!?"

"Nothing. It's how I grew up."

"How you grew up!? Bullshit! I've met your parents! They're nothing like you!"

"Who said my parents raised me?"

"Who in their right mind raised you then!?"

"My grandparents. They're from Georgia and they taught me that blacks are nothing but violent troublemakers."

"_You're _the violent troublemaker! I mean, after what you did to Collins-"

"Oh here we go with the Collins shit again," Matt interrupted. "Will there ever be a day when you don't bring him up?"

"You know what you did to him was wrong."

"Alex told me to take care of him and that's what I did."

"You almost killed him! He could've bled to death!"

"And that's my problem, how?"

"If you were in Collins' position, how would you have felt?"

"I'd never be in his position, so I don't have to worry about that." Lisa slapped Matt across the face as hard as she could. Matt was still for a moment before bringing his hand up to his cheek slowly. He gave Lisa the deadliest glare known to mankind as he brought his hand back down.

"Matt, I-" Lisa started. She didn't have time to say anything more before Matt's fist made contact with her face.

"You little bitch!" he shouted. Tears fell from Lisa's eyes as she tried to reason with him. Her words only succeeded in getting her hit again. She grabbed his wrist just as he was about to hit her again. He threw her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach. "That'll teach you to put your hands on me!" Lisa looked up at him through her tear-filled eyes.

"I don't . . . wanna be with a . . . racist hypocrite," she said barely above a whisper, her arms around her stomach. Matt kneeled down beside her.

"What?" he replied.

"I can't be with you if you're gonna . . ." She broke off as Matt stared at her with a confused look on his face.

"Are you . . . breaking up with me?" It was a simple question, but Lisa found herself unable to answer it. "Are you!?" His voice was loud and furious, which made Lisa shiver. His eyes flashed with anger and she suddenly remembered the first time she'd tried leaving him. That fight had ended with her nearly being thrown over the fire escape of Matt's apartment.

"I'm sorry, Matt," she said finally. "I just can't . . . I can't do this anymore."

"Do you _really _wanna leave me, Lisa?" His voice was now calm yet challenging. "You remember what happened the last time you tried that, don't you?"

_How could I forget? _Lisa thought. _You nearly killed me. _

After waiting for a response that never came, Matt pulled Lisa upright and forced her to kiss him. She struggled for a moment before successfully pushing him away. His lips were back on hers within three seconds. She tried pushing him away again, but he deepened the forced kiss. Once she finally got him off of her, she quickly got to her feet and tried to run away from him. She didn't get very far before he grabbed her by her shoulders, slammed her against the wall of the apartment building the others were in, and kissed her again, sliding his hand under her shirt. She used all her strength to get him off of her.

"What the hell are you doing, Matt?" she asked, trying to sound fearless.

"I want our last night as a couple to be a memorable one," Matt replied, looking Lisa up and down. "Take your shirt off."

"No." Lisa's voice was small.

"Is that your final answer, Lisa? Cause that shirt's coming off whether _you _take it off or not." As soon as he said this, Lisa bolted away from him, not daring to look back. As she ran she saw a guy with a camera walking with a guy in a leather jacket (**A/N: **:D).

"Hey!" she called, causing them both to stop. She ran up to them and tried to catch her breath when she stopped running.

"Are you okay?" the guy in the leather jacket asked. He looked like a rocker to her. His friend had to be a filmmaker of some kind (**A/N: **:D :D :D ).

"Are you running from something?" the filmmaker asked.

"He's . . . he's after me," Lisa said, still trying to catch her breath.

"Who?" the rocker asked. Before Lisa could say anything more, Matt grabbed her by the arm.

"There you are," he said, tightening his grip. "I was worried."

"Get off me!" Lisa demanded.

"Lisa, babe, don't make a scene in front of these people."

"Don't call me 'babe!'" The filmmaker and the rocker looked at each other for a moment.

"This is just a wild guess, but I don't think she wants you touching her," the rocker said.

"Fuck off," Matt retorted. He then hit Lisa in the head harder than ever, causing her to sway a bit.

"Rog, I think this is a case where actions speak louder than words," the filmmaker said.

"You know, Mark, you're right," Roger agreed. "So with that said . . ." He pried Matt's hand off of Lisa's arm and punched him in the stomach. Mark grabbed her hand and quickly led her away as Roger knocked Matt to the ground before catching up with them.

"You okay?" Mark asked Lisa, who was doing her best to stay standing. "Roger, hold my camera." Roger took the camera and Mark picked Lisa up bridal style.

"I think we should take her to the hospital," Roger suggested, watching Lisa struggle to keep her eyes open.

"No," she said quickly. "No hospitals."

"Well, we should at least call the police and turn that guy in," Mark stated.

"No!" Lisa brought a hand up to her head. "Just put me . . . put me . . ." She didn't finish her sentence before her eyes closed.

"Great, she's out. We gotta call _somebody_."

"How about Collins?" Roger suggested. "He'll know what to do."

"Alright, let's take her back to the loft and call him." Mark stared at the now unconscious Lisa. "Hopefully he answers."

* * *

"Angel, I can stop if you want me to," Collins told his lover, whose eyes were filled with tears.

"No, honey," Angel said, fighting her tears. "I wanna know everything that happened." She wiped her eyes. "What happened next?" Susie's grip tightened on her father's hand.

"I cried. I don't know for how long, but I cried. I was sure I was gonna die and I'd never get to see you again or say goodbye. Not to mention I was worrying about what could be happening to Susie." Collins paused for a moment. "And then Rob and his love for makin' my life miserable didn't help anything."

"Rob? Your cousin you can't stand?"

"Yeah. The other guys stood me up and . . . they all took turns punchin' me using the brass knuckles. They were . . . enjoying my pain." Tears started to fall from Angel's eyes. "Ang, I can't make you listen to anymore of this."

"No, I wanna know . . ." Angel broke off.

"Angel, I can honestly stop ri-"

"I'm fine, honey," Angel interrupted. "Go on."

"Well . . . I got the idea to steal Alexander's car to try and escape, but we got caught," Collins continued. "Matt was drivin' the van and . . . he ran us off the road."

"Off the road?"

"Yeah. We were all probably thinkin' we were about to die, but we ended up all being okay. Then I got hit by somethin'."

"What's the next thing you remember?"

"Waking up hanging from the ceiling by my wrists . . . shirtless." Collins took another pause.

"Honey . . ."

"Alexander said he put Matt in charge of punishing me for coming up with the idea to try to escape. He . . . he had a whip." More tears fell from Angel's eyes, but she made a gesture telling Collins to go on. "I've never been so scared in my life. And the pain . . . the pain was . . . like nothing I've ever felt before. It was . . . horrible, Angel."

"It really looked horrible, Mommy," Susie said.

"He . . . he whipped you . . . in front of Susie?" Angel asked. Collins nodded. "Why didn't he take her out of the room? Why would he make a little girl watch something like that?"

"I don't know. I guess Alexander told him to make an example out of me," Collins answered. "But then again, I'm sure he wouldn't be so heartless that he'd whip an eight-year-old."

"He shouldn't have whipped _you_! That's horrible! That's racism to the highest extent! Somebody should've stopped him!"

"Mommy, I don't think anybody coulda did anything," Susie said.

"She's right, Angel," Collins agreed. "Only somebody out of their right mind would've gone near that guy while he had that whip." The phone suddenly rang in the livingroom area and Angel left the room to answer it. She returned in seconds holding the phone on her shoulder.

"Honey, it's Mark," she told Collins. "He sounds scared." Collins took the phone and Susie stared up at him as he spoke to his friend.

"What's up, man?" he asked.

"_What's wrong with Angel?" _Mark's voice said. _"She sounded like she's been crying."_

"We were just . . . talkin' about some stuff. What do you need?"

"_Well, I have a girl here and-"_

"I can't give you any advice on girls for two reasons," Collins interrupted. "One: I'm gay and I've never been with anyone of the female species. And two: I don't wanna think about you having sex with women anyway."

"_I'm not gonna have sex with her,"_ Mark replied. _"She's hurt. A really familiar guy was chasing her and hit her in the head. She's unconscious."_

"Call the police."

"_She doesn't want me too. She doesn't wanna go to the hospital either. I was kind of hoping you'd know what to do."_

"What do you _want _me to do?"

"_Come over here and try to convince her to go to the police."_

"Why can't _you _do that?"

"_She knows you."_

"How?"

"_I don't know, but she was mumbling your name while Roger and I were bringing her to the loft."_

"What's her name?"

"_I don't know. I didn't get that bit of information. Oh wait . . . she just opened her eyes." _There was silence on the phone for a moment. _"Do you know anybody named Lisa?"_

"Lisa!?" Susie's eyes widened at the sound of her father's voice.

"_Is that a yes or a no?" _

"What happened to her? Is she okay?"

"_She's not talking about it. That's why I need you to come over here."_

"What's the guy's name that attacked her?"

"_Um . . . hold on." _There was another silence. _"Matt . . . Patterson. Collins, isn't that the guy's name that-"_

"I'm on my way," Collins interrupted. He hung up the phone, stood up, and went over to the closet.

"What happened to Lisa, Daddy?" Susie asked concernedly.

"Matt hurt her." Collins pulled on a pair of jeans, socks, shoes, and a jacket.

"Why?"

"I'm gonna go find that out right now."

"Can _I _come? _Please?_"

"Why don't you stay here with Mommy?"

"Collins, I wanna come too," Angel said. "I don't feel . . . safe here without you." Collins sighed, picked Susie up, took her to her bedroom, and changed her clothes. Angel met them outside of the door.

"Okay, let's go," he said.

**And that is what I call chapter four! **

**Review please.**


	5. Love At First Sight

**Good people of the FanFiction world: I loved writing this chapter! It made me happy inside! That is all.**

**I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.**

When she, Collins, and Susie reached the loft, Angel knocked on the door. Roger opened it and smiled when he saw them.

"Wow," he said. "The whole family's here." Angel entered the loft first, followed by Collins, who was carrying Susie. Lisa was lying on the couch with her eyes closed, barely moving. Angel sat in the raggedy reclining chair next to the couch and Collins placed Susie on her lap. He then sat on the couch right next to Lisa's feet and stared at her. He noticed a bruise forming on the side of her face as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Collins?" she said, her eyes widening. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah," Collins replied. "It's me." Lisa sat up and trapped him into a hug, which he returned. "Can you tell me what happened?" Lisa broke the hug and stared at Collins for a moment.

"A lot of things have happened since the last time we saw each other," she told him.

"I was talking about why Matt attacked you," Collins informed her.

"Oh. I . . . I did something really stupid and it pissed him off."

"What'd you do?"

"I broke up with him."

"Wait a minute. You broke up with your racist, abusive, condescending bastard of a boyfriend and you think that was _stupid_?" Lisa nodded.

"Honey, why in the world would you think that?" Angel asked.

"Well . . . I tried to leave him before and he almost killed me," Lisa said. "Then another time when he was out of town, I went to my sister's house and he ended up finding me. He said I could never get away from him because he'd _always _find me."

"He's stupid!" Susie exclaimed. "He's just trying to scare you!"

"I said it before and I'll say it again," Collins said. "Listen to her. Girl knows what she's talkin' about." He turned to Roger. "Where's Mark?"

"He went to the drug store to get some type of pain medication for Lisa," Roger explained. "He should be back soon."

"What about Mimi?" Angel asked.

"She had to work late." Roger sighed. "Angel, do you think you could talk to her for me?"

"About what, sweetie?"

"About . . . quitting that job. I hate that she has to dance half-naked for a bunch of old, horny guys. It's disgusting."

"What does 'horny' mean?" Susie asked innocently.

"Yo, Rog," Collins said. "You wanna watch your mouth in front of my daughter?"

"Sorry," Roger apologized.

"I still don't know what it means," Susie pointed out.

"I'll tell you when you're older, honey," Angel said.

"She's your _daughter_?" Lisa asked. "Since when?"

"Since Angel and I adopted her a few months ago," Collins replied.

"Aw. That's sweet." Mark then re-entered the loft, holding a bottle of pain pills. He smiled when he saw Collins, Angel, and Susie.

"Thanks for coming, Collins," he said, walking over to the kitchen area. He put the pills down on the counter, went over to a cupboard, took a glass out of it, looked into it, frowned, and went to the sink to clean it, all while Lisa was following him with her eyes. About two minutes later, he walked over to the couch and sat next to Lisa, two pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. "You should take these. They'll help your head." Lisa nodded and did as he said.

"Thanks for helping me out, but I think I should go now," she told him.

"But what if Matt finds you?" Susie asked worriedly. "He could hurt you again!"

"She's right," Mark agreed. "It's too dangerous for you to go out there. You can stay here if you want."

"I can?" Lisa asked.

"Of course. I'll clear off my bed and you can sleep there. I'll sleep on the couch." Lisa stared after Mark as he went into his room. Collins followed her gaze and slid closer to her.

"You like what you see?" he asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lisa replied.

"You're starin' at him an awful lot."

"Well . . . he saved my life. Can't I be grateful without being questioned?

"You do know Roger helped save you, right?" Lisa was silent for a moment. "Got ya, didn't I?" Lisa rolled her eyes.

"So I think he's cute," she said. "So what? It's not like he'd be interested in me."

"You don't know him like _I _know him," Collins told her. "If you ask him out, I can guarantee he'll say 'yes.'"

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Lisa's gonna date Uncle Mark?" Susie asked.

"She might," Angel answered.

"Then she'd be my aunt! Yay!"

"I haven't asked him out yet," Lisa said.

"But you will and he's gonna say yes!" Susie exclaimed. Mark returned to the living room area as Roger looked at his watch.

"I gotta go get Mimi from the club," he said, grabbing his coat and his key. "I'll be back later, Mark." He left the loft as Collins stood up and picked Susie up.

"We gotta get going too," he said. "I got a class to teach tomorrow." He, Angel, and Susie left the loft as well. Mark locked the door behind them and walked back over to the couch.

"I'll help you to the room so you don't fall over," he told Lisa, taking her by the hand. Lisa stood up and allowed Mark to lead her to his bedroom. The first thing she noticed was his camera.

"Are you a filmmaker?" she asked, sitting on his bed.

"Sort of," Mark replied. "I mostly film my friends though." Lisa nodded and there was an uncomfortable silence between them. "So . . . who is that Matt guy to you?"

"My ex-boyfriend." Lisa looked at the floor.

"You dated him?"

"Yeah. He wouldn't let me out of the relationship." A tear fell from Lisa's eye and Mark lifted her head before wiping it away. His hand remained on her cheek for a moment.

"You should . . . get some sleep," Mark said, looking into Lisa's eyes. He finally removed his hand and turned to leave the room as Lisa took her shoes off and lied down.

"Uh . . . Mark?" Lisa called. Mark, who was at the door, turned around. "Could you . . . stay with me?" Mark stood still for a moment. "Please? I'm scared . . . he'll find me."

"He won't find you," Mark assured her. "You're safe now."

"Please?" Mark walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. "You can lay in your own bed, you know."

"I know, but wouldn't it be . . . a little awkward?" Mark asked.

"Not to me. And I'd feel safer." Mark took his shoes off and Lisa moved over to give him more room. He lied down next to Lisa, who laid her head close to his. "Thanks for saving me."

"No problem," Mark replied. He slowly put an arm around Lisa and she unexpectedly laid her head on his chest. His heart began pounding.

"Are you okay, Mark?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah," Mark replied. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Your heart sounds like it's about to jump out of your chest."

"It's okay. I mean, I'm okay. Wait . . . um . . ." Mark searched his brain for something to say that wouldn't make him sound like an idiot. "How about I just stop talking?"

"No," Lisa said. "I like talking to you."

"Really?" Lisa nodded and snuggled up to him. "Um, Lisa?" Lisa looked up at him. "I know we just met and everything, but . . . I was hoping . . . well, not _hoping. _I was wondering if you'd . . . um . . ." Mark took a deep breath. "Would you go to dinner with me tomorrow?" Lisa didn't have to think about her answer.

"I'd love to," she said.

"You . . . you would?" Mark asked in slight shock.

"Yeah."

"Well, how about the Life Cafe? At around . . . seven?"

"That's perfect." Lisa closed her eyes and began falling asleep in Mark's arms.

"Good night, Lisa," she heard Mark whisper. She smiled and let herself drift off.

**Aw! Mark and Lisa! How cute is that?**

**Review please.**


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